I asked a group of Realtors who sell homes in the Birmingham and Shelby Co. area recently what their thoughts are of 2009, now that it’s ‘in the rear view mirror.’

While a few Agents reported a strong year last year, most told me they weren’t sad to see ‘09 become history.

We hear conflicting information in the media a lot these days about home sales, and this can even happen when you’re looking at sales in a small, targeted area.

Here are a few statistics from the Birmingham MLS that show trends in 2009, compared to 2007 and 2008. Clearly, the local market was a difficult one for many:

Here’s a look at average sold prices for homes in the area:

And, finally, how long did it take to get a home sold? Here’s a look at that:

While these numbers show a challenging market, people with a lot of years in the real estate business under their belt continue to believe that the market will undergo a gradual change, back to more balanced conditions.

No one knows exactly when that will happen, or how quickly it will occur, but most are confident it will. Some think it’s already starting.

Perhaps 2010 will be the year…

David

Getting your home sold in Shelby County is taking longer in some communities and less time in others, while prices have dropped, according to October statistics from the Birmingham Multiple Listing System.

The average number of days on market increased in Alabaster and Chelsea, but fell in Helena, Pelham and Calera:

Click here to see a larger version of the Average Days On Market graphic…

Prices continued a downward trend in October, and substantially so, compared to September:

Click here to see a larger version of the Average Sales Price graphic…

How many homes are selling?

Except for Calera, the number of homes sold in October dropped from September. Chelsea saw the sharpest one month drop, while more homes sold in Calera during October than in September:

Click here to see a larger version of the Number of Homes Sold graphic…

Why the uptick in Calera?

Perhaps it’s the large inventory of low cost housing (both new and resale), making for some very attractive deals for first time home buyers, along with the fact that Calera qualifies for USDA financing (which means loans with no down payment required).

I think these statistics are giving us some important messages.

If you’re planning on buying a home, the market is continuing to work very much in your favor in the Birmingham and Shelby County area. Prices have dropped, inventory is in plentiful supply, and loans continue to be very affordable.

If you’re trying to sell, the message these numbers present is that it’s going to take a lot more than just putting a For Sale sign in the yard.

Marketing plays a more critical role than ever, and must be done in innovative ways if your home is to stand out among all the other properties for sale.

Pricing is no less important and will be a huge deciding factor in how quickly you sell, or if you sell, at all (believe me, we have seen examples of both!).

You may also benefit from an informed assessment of your property’s appearance and condition. With so many homes for sale right now, if your property doesn’t sparkle, Buyers will simply move on to another.

These are some very good reasons for trusting the sale of your home to an Agent who’s knowledgeable about the market here in the Shelby Co./Birmingham area and who knows how to achieve success in spite of challenging economic conditions.

David

How much does it cost to buy a home in the Birmingham/Shelby Co. area?  Here are a few numbers that really show the variety of inventory and pricing currently available.  Remember that these are asking, and not sold, prices:

Alabaster/Maylene/Saginaw
Homes For Sale:  370
Under $150,000:  125
$150,000-$199,999:  111
$200,000-$249,999:  51
$250,000+:  83

Helena/Pelham (Shelby Co.)
Homes For Sale:  502
Under $150,000:   148
$150,000-$199,999:  153
$200,000-$249,999:  72
$250,000+:  129

No. Shelby Co./Hoover
Homes For Sale:  725
Under $150,000:  30
$150,000-$199,999: 41
$200,000-$249,999: 127
$250,000+:  527

Chelsea
Homes For Sale:   287
Under $150,000:   23
$150,000-$199,999:  92
$200,000-$249,999:  53
$250,000+:  119

Calera/Montevallo/Wilton
Homes For Sale:  334
Under $150,000:  203
$150,000-$199,999:   77
$200,000-$249,999:  29
$250,000+:  25

Source:  Birmingham Multiple Listing System

David

Here’s a look at how homes have been selling in the Shelby Co./Birmingham area during the past few months, courtesy of the Birmingham MLS:

David

Here’s a look at current inventory for the Shelby County and Birmingham areas, as indicated by the Birmingham Multiple Listing Service. To help you with an idea of trends, the numbers in parentheses show the count as of March 9th, 2009 (one month ago today):

Single family, town homes and condominiums available:

Helena & Pelham area (Shelby Co.): 519 (521)
Helena & Pelham area (Jefferson Co.): 59 (58)
North Shelby/Hoover area (Shelby Co.): 739 (701)
Chelsea: 298 (324)
Altadena/Cahaba Heights area: 67 (62)
Liberty Park/Vestavia area: 492 (446)
Alabaster, Maylene & Saginaw area: 373 (372)
Calera, Montevallo & Wilton area: 360 (356)
Columbiana, Westover & Wilsonville area: 93 (89)

Number of homes for sale based on current selling price:

Alabaster, Maylene and Saginaw area:
$150,000-$200,000: 132 (131)
$200,000-$300,000: 90 (86)

Helena and Pelham areas (Shelby Co.):
$150,000-$200,000: 169 (166)
$200,000-$300,000: 127 (124)

Helena and Pelham areas (Jefferson Co.):
$150,000-$200,000: 2 (2)
$200,000-$300,000: 22 (21)

Chelsea:
$150,000-$200,000: 82 (99)
$200,000-$300,000: 118 (120)

David

Here’s a look at current inventory for the Shelby County and Birmingham areas, as indicated by the Birmingham Multiple Listing Service:

Number of homes available:

Helena & Pelham area (Shelby Co.): 521
Helena & Pelham area (Jefferson Co.): 58
North Shelby/Hoover area (Shelby Co.): 701
Chelsea: 324
Altadena/Cahaba Heights area: 62
Liberty Park/Vestavia area: 446
Alabaster, Maylene & Saginaw area: 372
Calera, Montevallo & Wilton area: 356
Columbiana, Westover & Wilsonville area: 89

Number of homes for sale based on current selling price:

Alabaster, Maylene and Saginaw area:
$150,000-$200,000: 131
$200,000-$300,000: 86

Helena and Pelham areas (Shelby Co.):
$150,000-$200,000: 166
$200,000-$300,000: 124

Helena and Pelham areas (Jefferson Co.):
$150,000-$200,000:   2
$200,000-$300,000:  21

Chelsea:
$150,000-$200,000:  99
$200,000-$300,000: 120

David

Here’s a quick look at some current numbers for the Birmingham and Shelby County housing market as we approach mid February, courtesy of the Birmingham Multiple Listing Service…

Number of homes available:

Helena & Pelham area (Shelby Co.): 497
Helena & Pelham area (Jefferson Co.): 60
North Shelby/Hoover area (Shelby Co.): 665
Chelsea: 320
Altadena/Cahaba Heights area: 54
Liberty Park/Vestavia area: 438
Alabaster, Maylene & Saginaw area: 374
Calera, Montevallo & Wilton area: 360
Columbiana, Westover & Wilsonville area: 88

Number of homes for sale based on current selling price:

Alabaster, Maylene and Saginaw area:
$150,000-$200,000: 120
$200,000-$300,000: 89

Helena and Pelham areas (Shelby Co.):
$150,000-$200,000: 161
$200,000-$300,000: 121

Helena and Pelham areas (Jefferson Co.):
$150,000-$200,000: 3
$200,000-$300,000: 20

Chelsea:
$150,000-$200,000: 93
$200,000-$300,000: 122

Bottom line: There are still lots of choices!

David

Here’s hoping you had a Merry Christmas!

As we wind down the last few days of 2008, here’s a look at how many homes are for sale in the Birmingham, Alabaster and Shelby county areas. We did an update like this in November, and it’s interesting to see that—in nearly every case—inventory has dropped from the earlier update. The numbers in parentheses are how many homes were for sale as of the November update:

Alabaster – 372 (389)
Altadena/Cahaba Heights – 33 (50)
Calera – 297 (297)
Clanton – 171 (179)
Columbiana – 44 (52)
Chelsea – 249 (255)
Helena – 245 (269)
Hoover – 939 (982)
Indian Springs – 10 (32)
Inverness – 55 (56)
Liberty Park/Vestavia – 409 (452)
Meadow Brook – 7 (13)
Montevallo – 96 (100)
Pelham – 298 (333)
Vincent – 26 (27)

Source: Birmingham Area Multiple Listing Service

I suppose people are finally deciding that the opportunities to buy a home really are as good as they’re being told. And there’s no doubt about it: As the New Year gets underway, home prices and inventory will continue to offer buyers some of the best deals that have occurred in many years.

David